Dragon will undock from the ISS

Melchiorre Ramaglia |17 Settembre 2017, 06:46

The SpaceX CRS-12 Dragon cargo spacecraft departed the International Space Station on Sunday. Credit NASA

Dragon, the only space station resupply spacecraft able to return to Earth intact, launched to the space station August 14 from Launch Complex 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, and arrived at the station August 16 carrying more than 6,400 pounds of supplies and cargo on SpaceX's twelfth commercial resupply mission to the station for NASA. The Dragon then fired its thrusters to separate from the space station. NASA also sent up some ice cream for the astronauts.

For the vessel's return trip, the crew loaded the Dragon with "science samples from human and animal research, biology and biotechnology studies, physical science investigations, and education activities", NASA officials said in a statement. The capsule landed off the coast of Baja California. Splashdown will not be broadcast on NASA TV.

This was the 12th contracted cargo resupply mission (CRS-12) for SpaceX. NASA launched Dragon to the ISS from Cape Canaveral. This was the last new Dragon to deliver cargo to the space station.